


The Great Prince

by TVgirll1971



Series: The Great Prince [1]
Category: Whiskey Cavalier (TV)
Genre: Backstory, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 20:44:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20121400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVgirll1971/pseuds/TVgirll1971
Summary: Starts with a revelation about Ray and ends with Frankie needing to make a choice.





	The Great Prince

"Come on, Ray. The only reason you got into Quantico was because of your father." 

Will regretted it the moment he said it. He was upset. Ray missed some intel and their mission almost went sideways. It was a careless mistake and because of it, the team barely got out of there. Ray apologized and tried to make excuses about too much intel. When he started quoting Agent Timmons at Quantico. Will lost it and said something stupid. He knew it the second it came out of his mouth. Before he even had a chance to apologize, Ray just shoved past him and left. What made it even worse was that he said it in front of the entire team. Their looks of astonishment did not make him feel better.

“I can’t believe you did that.” Susan said before she left to after Ray. “Yeah, man,” said Standish, “That was cold.”  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Will found his best friend in his office working. “Hey, Ray...” Will began.

” I’m kind of busy right now, Will” Ray said not even bothering to look up from his paperwork. Yeah, he was definitely upset. 

“Look, Ray, I’m really sorry about what I said. I didn’t mean it. I just got mad and-- “.

Ray suddenly looked up and said pointedly. “I’m not stupid, Will.” 

“I know you’re—“

“I know the only reason I got in into the Bureau was because of my father and that’s probably the only reason I’ve never been fired. But that doesn’t mean I don’t care about this job and it certainly doesn’t mean I’m not any good it.”

“Of course, not. You are good at it.”

“My whole career I’ve had people talking behind my back, judging me for how I got this job. Then for the first time, I’m part of a team that has no idea who my father is—no preconceptions of how I became an agent. Now, thanks to you, that’s gone and I’m back to being the screw-up son of the great Douglas Prince.”

“Okay. First, you’re not a screw up. Second, the people in that bar don’t care about who your father is or how you got this job. Seriously, they’re more upset at me than you. You have their respect, Ray. That’s hasn’t changed.”

That seemed to appease Ray somewhat but Will could tell the hurt was still there.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
A week after the revelation, Ray and Susan were having one of their regular lunches. It was a time for both of them to get to know each other and they both really enjoyed that. 

“So, Ray, you grew up in D.C., didn’t you?” Susan asked after they ordered. 

“Actually, I grew up in Kentucky.” 

Susan smiled, “Really? You’re country boy?”

“Born and raised.” He said, with a slight Southern drawl that that Susan found adorable. “We didn’t move to D.C. until my senior year of high school.” 

“That’s when your father got promoted?” Susan said, treading carefully. 

To her relief, Ray didn’t shy away from the question. He told her all about his father’s meteoric rise in the FBI, his expectations for his children, and his constant disappointment in Ray. Mr. Prince demanded excellence in his children. While Ray’s brother and sisters bent over backwards to please their father, Ray wouldn’t. Sure, he wanted his father’s approval the same as the others, he just didn’t want to bust his tail to get it. It just wasn’t in him.  
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
A few months later, the team was tasked with taking down notorious weapons dealer Bruce Kamper, who worked out of a compound in New Jersey. Not only that, they would be aided by one Douglas Prince. When Will told Frankie the news, her reaction was not what he expected.

“Douglas Prince is coming here?” Frankie asked, her face practically breaking into a grin. “The Douglas Prince? Former Deputy Director of the FBI?”

“Yes. Douglas Prince,” Will answered, “How do you even know who he is anyway?”

“Are you kidding? Everyone in the intelligence community has heard of Douglas Prince. The man who took down the Dubrick gun-running operation? Not to mention--”  
“Okay, but don’t make a big deal about it. It’s a sore spot for Ray.”  
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The next day, Douglas Prince arrived to brief the team and, to Will’s chagrin, Frankie did the last thing he ever expected her to do—she fan girled over Prince. She gushed about what an honor it was to meet him, how she’d read up on all his cases, and how she’d love to discuss some of them with him. Of course, Mr. Prince basked the glory of all this, Ray looked like he wanted to crawl under a rock. 

It didn’t take long for others to notice what Will knew all along—Douglas Prince was an arrogant man who loved to bring up his tenure as Deputy Director. He also had no respect for his son. Whenever Ray tried to give insight into the mission, his father would immediately strike it down. As always, Ray kept quiet and took the abuse. Will bit his tongue because he knew that’s what Ray wanted. Soon, Standish got fed up and blurted out 

“What’s your problem, man? He’s only trying to help.

”Oh, “I’m sorry,” Prince replied snidely, “Do you want this briefing conducted by me or someone who couldn’t manage to be head of Evidence Recovery without botching it up?” 

Ray quickly changed the subject before Standish could answer. Eventually, Susan had enough and started to lay into Prince but Ray stopped before she had a chance to begin her tirade. “Susan. Stop. It’s not worth it.” Mr. Prince agreed and the meeting was adjourned.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Since the last two undercover agents who’d been sent to the compound had been discovered and killed, the FBI decided that the best option would be to catch Kamper in the act. Susan was to go in as head of a Mexican drug cartel with Will as her muscle. Thanks to Jai’s microscopic listening devices and cameras the deal would be recorded. Once Susan and Will were safely off the grounds with the newly purchased weapons, an FBI team would raid the compound. It was a pretty routine mission. 

Until it wasn’t. Ray learned that Kamper had somehow purchased high tech equipment that could enable him to pick up signals from their comms. While the team could track Susan and Will’s car, they had to maintain radio silence. That meant no cell phones and no comms. “And the problem is?” scoffed Mr. Prince, “Any agent worth a damn should be able to do their job without someone whispering in their ear.” Thinking for the hundredth time that Prince was a real piece of work, Susan left the Dead Drop with Will and headed for New Jersey.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Almost two hours later, Standish exclaimed, ““Frankie, I think we have a problem. I’ve been watching the satellite feed and there seems to be some kind of road block set up near the compound. It looks like state police.” 

“Sounds like a routine check. They’ve been monitoring the traffic coming to and from the compound,” Mr. Prince said, “Mr. Standish, can you send an encrypted message to those officers telling them to wave our people through?”

“Sure,” said Standish. “Not really my job, but okay,” he muttered in a low voice.

Just as Standish was done typing, Ray suddenly spoke up. “Wait, don’t. It’s a trap. “ 

“Really?” Prince asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “And you what do you base this on? Your extensive knowledge of the weapons trade?” 

Ignoring the jibe, Ray pressed on, “There’ve been reports of law enforcement being on Kamper’s payroll. They could be here to see if this deal is legit.” 

“Unsubstantiated rumors. There is no clear evidence that suggests that Kamper has police in his pocket. Certainly not state police.” 

Ray pressed on, “Kamper’s skittish. Okay? He’s knows the FBI Is on his tail. It makes sense for him to use this road block as a way to root us out. We tip our hand, Will and Susan are dead. Our best bet is just back off. They’ll be able to go through.”

“They’ll be able to go through? That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard. Let’s say you’re right and the police are in on it, what makes you think they’ll just magically wave your people through?”

“Because as good as the state police are, they’re no match for two trained FBI operatives. Susan and Will can easily talk their way through a road block. “

“Sentimentally? That’s your great argument?” Prince scoffed, then turned to Frankie, “You can’t seriously be considering this, Agent Trowbridge?”

Suddenly, Frankie was on the spot. On the one hand, you had one of the brightest minds in the Intelligence community, and on the other hand, you had Ray. A decision that should have been a no-brainer was suddenly complicated by the fact that Will and Susan could be going into a trap.

“Frankie, trust me. If we alert the police, Kamper and his men will know something’s up and they’ll be waiting for Will and Susan. Right now, they have no clue we’re on to them so they’ll have no reason not to let them through.”

Seeing Frankie’s uncertainty, Prince softened his tone. “Agent Trowbridge. I understand your dilemma. My son is a member of your team, he’s your friend. But friendship doesn’t matter in this line of work, experience does. Now, are you going to trust someone with extensive knowledge of the subject, who’s worked in the upper levels of the Bureau or are you going to trust a man who’s destined to spend his entire career in middle management?”

Standish spoke up, “Uh, guys. They’re getting close to the road block. What do you want me to do?”

“This is ridiculous,” Prince said, exasperated. “We’re wasting time. Mr. Standish, send the message now.” 

Standish looked at Frankie and Frankie looked at Ray. His hands on his hips, his face set like steel. He had the look of a man who knew with absolute certainty he was right. Suddenly, the answer was clear.

“Standish, belay that order.” 

Prince looked at her like she grew a second head. “I see. So you value sentiment over experience too?”

“No. I don’t. I admit, when it comes to career experience you’re the expert. But your information is also ten years out of date. Ray is here *now*. Day in, day out. He knows the current climate and what to expect. So, I’m going with that.”

“Let' hope you don’t regret it” said Prince as he left the Dead Drop in a huff. 

“He’s not even going to stick around?” thought Frankie as she walked over to Standish and Ray. Ray thanked her for backing him up and Frankie replied “I meant it. But you sure as hell better be right.”

“They’re in.” Standish exclaimed, “Yes! Take THAT, Mr. I was Deputy Director of the FBI!”

Smiling, Frankie gave a visibly relieved Ray a pat on the shoulder.  
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The rest of the mission went off without a hitch. Susan and Will were able to complete the sale, the FBI raided the compound and Bruce Kamper was finally apprehended. Prince sent a curt “Fine Job, Everyone” text to the team, minus Ray. But to be honest, Ray didn’t expect one. “He probably figures I just got lucky.” he told Susan. “Well, then, he’s an idiot.” she replied. “You made the right call and it’s not because you got lucky. It’s because you’re good. And standing up to him the way you did? Well, I know I wasn’t there, but—it sounded amazing. Maybe even kind of sexy” she said as she kissed him.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all liked it. The idea of Ray's father being someone high up in the FBI came to me pretty early in the series and the idea kind of blossomed. This was something I would've loved to have seen on the show.
> 
> I'm sorry that the mission premise isn't as tight as it should be. My premise was that Ray believed his father's idea was a mistake--it was best to do nothing. However, I didn't know what that would be. At one point, I thought it should involve a satellite but didn't know how that would work so I developed my original road block idea.
> 
> Also, sorry about lack of Jai. I just couldn't think of anything for him to say.


End file.
